Conditioner for congealable liquids



J. C. SHAW CONDITIONER FOR CONGEALABLE LIQUIDS March 14, 1944.

Fil'ed Feb. 3, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 14, 1944. Q AW 2,343,869

CONDITIONER FOR CONGEALABLE LIQUIDS Filed Feb. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 o J if ATTORNEY.

Patented 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT. orrlca CONDITIONER FOR CONGEALABLE LIQUIDS Joseph c; Shaw, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to United Aircraft Products, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 3,1942, Serial No. 429,437

9 Claims.

tain proper viscosity in the lubricating oil for an internal combustion engine, not only during the starting period, when the main body of the oil is cold, but also during the subsequent running period when excess heat must be dissipated.

Hence, it is intended to provide a conditioning device partaking of a dual characteristic, namely, that of a heat distributor and conservator on the one hand, and that of a heat radiator on the other hand. Furthermore, it is an object to provide a device whose operating characteristics automatically vary in accordance with the condition of the liquid being treated; that is, when the oil is highly viscous, the apparatus functions to distribute heat throughout the oil without substantial heat loss through radiation, and asthe viscosity of the oil decreases with a proportionate rise in temperature, the apparatus accordingly dissipates excess heat. through radiation.

Still another object is to provide-a conditioner for congealable liquids adapted to be placed in the oil circuit of an engine or the like and which, while having a number of heat-exchange elements subjected to relatively high oil pressures when the oil is congealed, nevertheless, will not be damaged bysuch high pressures, even though the elements be disposed directly in the path of the congealed oil. In order that damage from pressure be averted, it is an object to define certain channels between the heat-exchange elements for ofiering relatively low resistance to the More specifically, it is passage of congealed oil. now proposed to provide, in a congealable liquid conditioning device, a radiator body having a plurality of heat-exchange elements disposed therein in spaced relation to one another, the radiator body initially containing a mass of congealed lubricating oil packed between the elements and having an inlet and outlet adapted to be connected in the oil circuit of ,an engine so that, 'when the engine is started, hot oil flowing from the engine is passed in heat-transfer relationship adjacent to and through the mass of congealed oil. According to this invention, the spacing between the heat-exchange elements is such that, when the hot oil from the engine is first forced through the inlet and against the mass of congealed oil, the hot oil'will break through along'certain tortuous, but well-defined paths of low flow resistance. Once flow of the hot oil through the mass of congealed oil is established, it necessarily follows that the congealed oil adjacent the flow paths will soon become heated sufliciently so that a quick succession of breaks through the channels of relatively great resistance to flow will follow.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which. while functioning as a radiator type oil cooler, may not be blocked by congealing of oil therein when exposed to extremely lowtemperatures. Thus, when this device is used on aircraft engines, even though it might suddenly be cooled so that the oil adjacent some of the heat-exchange elements would congeal, relatively wide passages always will remain open to maintain communication therethrough without appreciable increase in pressure on the intake side or pressure drop at the outlet. Thus, it is intended to provide, in a congealable liquid conditioner,'for the maintenance of constant pressure throughout substantially all operating conditions and, as a corollary, the maintenance of flow.

Yet again, it is hereby intended to providea conditioner which, while functioning primarily as a radiating cooler for hot liquid flowing th'erethrough, necessarily subjects such oil to cooling coolers having alternate flow paths offering comparatively high and low resistance, respectively,

, but wherein, when the liquid negotiatesthe path of low resistance, practically no cooling results.

An additional object is to provide a conditioner for congealable liquids, such as lubricating oil, adapted to be exposed to a cooling medium, such as air, and which, when a substantial portion of the liquid therein is congealed, presents relatively little effective area to the cooling medium, but

which, when the liquid is more fluid, utilizes its entire cooling facilities.

structurally, the objects of this invention are manifest in a conditioner having a main generally cylindrical body with an inlet through one side thereof, outlets on the opposite side, and a plurality of air passage tubes extending axially therethrough. Among the specific objects is the spacing of the tubes from one another so as to provide certain tortuous paths of relatively low resistance. A dominant characteristic of the low resistance paths, which are'of large cross-section, is,that they communicate at every turn with paths of less cross-section and higher resistance so that the hot oil always seeks out the congealed. Another structural feature of the invention is the formation of reticulated endwalls for the main body of the radiator element by providing spacer elements at the ends of the air passage tubes, the spacer elements being of angular outline so as to inter-fit with one another so that the tube elements and their surrounding spacer elements form substantially self-sustaining end walls. At certain intervals it is intended to provide, instead of a tube and its surrounding spacer in transit, as opposed to previously developed element, a plug preferably with an outline similar to the spacer elements, so as to form a relatively wide channel therebehind.

Along with the structural aspects of this invention it is intended to teach the method of conditioning a congealable liquid by passing hot portions of the liquid along tortuous paths through congealed portions of the liquid.

These and other objectives'will appear from thlllai 1flollowingspecification and drawings, in w c Fig. 1 is a side elevation diagrammatically illus-.

formed of sheet metal and surroundin the main body portion of the conditioner, the inner elements of which form a core section broadly of the yp found in radiators and oil coolers for intemalcombustion engines for automobiles, airplanes and other vehicles.

Inside shell I,. a plurality of 'baflie 2 are disposed in parallel spaced relation to one another, the bailles extending from end'to end of the shell and preferably being of sheet metal secured at their edges to the inner side of shell I. As seen in Figures 1 and 5, each of thebaflles is formed ad acent one of its ends with openings disposed in staggered relation to' the openings in adjacent baflles so as to provide inter-connecting ports 4 therebetween and to define a zigzag passage through the core and in which zig-zag passage the liquid flows substantially parallel to the flow of coolant through the main body portion of the conditioner.

The core structure further includes a plurality of heat-exchange elements in the form of air tubes 3 dispersedthroughout the interior of shell I and extending. axially therethrough from end to end, the ends of the tubes being open so as to allow coolant, such as air, to pass freely therelation to one another by spacer elements or by through. The tubes are supported in spaced reenlarged or flared integralportions at their ends,

described more fully below, so that the spaces I8 and I9 between the tubes cooperate to form myriad tortuous passages.

Surrounding shell I, a cylindrical jacket 5 is I supported in radially spaced relation to the shell by end walls 5I extending between the outer side of shell I and the ends of jacket 5, so as to define an annular chamber surrounding the shell, the

chamber constituting a feed chamber or oil pasage and having an inlet Ii adapted to be connected to an oil line (not shown) leading from a motor.

In its lower side, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, shell I, is provided with an inlet opening 1 so that the interior of the core section within the shell communicates with the chamber enclosed between shell I and jacket 5, the inlet 'I preferably being diametrically opposite inlet 6.

The outlet elements for the chamber between shell I and jacket 5, and for the main body of the core section inside shell I, are formed in valvemechanisnr 8 mounted on-bosses 9. 9| which are affixed on the outside or jacket 5 and which surround openings through the jacket. As seen best in Fig. 1, an outlet Ill extends through the wall of shell I immediately opposite the opening in jacket 5 surrounded by boss 9 so as to establish communication from the interior of shell I through an outlet conduit I2 in valv mechanism 8, conduit I2 being, in turn, adapted for connection with an oil line (not shown) leading back to an engine. Valve mechanism 8 is completed by a valve I3 movably mounted to close the opening through boss SI and normally biased towards closed position by spring I4, which may be of the simple expansion type diagrammatically illustrated, and so adjusted as to yield under a predetermined amount of pressure from within for allowing the valve to open, or of the thermostatic type and arranged to close and open the valve, respectively, in the presence or absence of predetermined heat.

The operation of the structure .thus far described is as follows: Assuming the conditioner is connected in an oil line of an internal combustion motor and that the interior of shell I is packed with cold, congealed oil, warm oil from the engine, when started, will pass through chamber inlet 6 and around the chamber between shell I and jacket 5 as indicated bythe outermost arrows in Fig. 2, unidirectional flow being provided by a boss 6 extending into the chamber. The interior of shell I being, at this time, momentarily blocked by the congealed oil packed between the bafiies 2 and between tubes 3, sufficien-t pressure will be imposed upon valve I3 to overcome spring I4 so that the outlet surrounded by boss 9I will be opened, thus establishing a flow circuit generally indicated by line A. However, as the oil within shell I is heated by the oil flowing around the surrounding chamber, the viscosity thereof will be reducedso that passages between the tubes 3 will become established, thus to allow the oil to flow from inlet I through the core and out through outlet III. Simultaneously, as the oil becomes heated and less viscous, the pressure against valve I3 will be alleviated so that spring I4 will close the valve, whereupon, the flow circuit will be as indicated by line B in Figs. 1 and 5, and 'the inner arrows in Fig. 2. Since the viscosity of the oil decreases as the temperature rises, the spring I4, if it be thermostatic as suggested may be adjusted to close valve I3 when exposed to heat suflicient to warm the oil within shell I.

In order to establish certain flow paths of greater or lesser resistance to flow through the core structure within shell I, the tubes 3 are, in certain areas, so spaced from one. another so as to provide passages I9 of considerable greater cross-section than'the passages I8 between most oftubes 3, these passages having comparatively little resistance to the flow of oil therethrough.

As seen best in Figs.'3, 4 and 5, flared hexagonal ends- I! are-formed on each end of the I tubes 3, the spacer elements II inter-fitting with one another and being connected to form the closed portion of the ever, at certain intervals, a tube 3 iseomitted and a hexagonal plu I6 is appropriately substituted for. the missing tube, head or nipple so that when the core is viewed from the end, as in Fig. 2, it will be seen that a pattern of. devious wide passages is provided. preferably although not necessarily through. the central portion of the core instead of forming the ends of the tube 3 with end walls of the core. Howi integral hexagonal flared ends, the tube ends may be spaced in other ways as will be apparent.

When oil-first begins to flow through the main body of the core within shell I, it will form passages through the remaining congealed oil along the lines of least resistance, such lines being demarked from point to point by the relatively wide passages l 9 between tubes 3. However, since many narrow passages |8 deviate from each wide one, the number of flow passages constantly will be increased as the hot oil seeks out other passages more directly in line with its momentary courses, and meanwhile, the oil adjacent shell I will have absorbed heat from the oil flowing through the surrounding chamber, so that free communication through all of the channel l8 and 19 will rapidly be obtained.

While the invention has been described as applied to an oil circuit for an engine, its application as a conditioner for congealable liquids is universal wherever the problem of bringing such liquid from a congealed to a fluid state in the minimum of time is present, and where it is desired to insure against congealing or blocking during operation. Additionally, the concept. and technique of establishing the tortuous flow paths of low resistance through the main body of congealed liquid so as to seek out the remaining congealed liquid along ever-expanding, constantly shifting courses i not limited to the specific disclosure, but is to be construed to cover the full scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A lubricant conditioning device,for use in a lubricant circulating system wherein a lubricant, the viscosity of which varies progressively with change in temperature, is circulated under pressure and subjected to heat, including a radiator body having an inlet and an outlet, means extending through the body for conducting a cooling medium in heat exchange relationship with the lubricant therein, means within th radiator body for dividing the body into a plurality of interconnected compartments and for directing the lubricant through a tortuous course including flow paths substantially parallel to the flow of cooling medium, and means for mounting the cooling medium conducting means in varying spaced relation to each other so as to provide predetermined intercommunicating lubricant flow paths of different cross-sectional areas thereby providing greater and lesser resistance to the passage of lubricant through the tortuous course from the inlet to the outlet of the radiator body so that the liquid flowing through the body tends to seek and flow toward and through the flow paths of lesser resistance to flow.

2. A lubricant conditioning device for use in alubricant circulating system wherein a lubricant, the viscosity of which varies progressively with changes in temperature, is circulated under, pressure and subjected to heat, including a radiator body havin an inlet and an outlet, means for conducting lubricant under heat and pressure to said inlet, said lubricant conducting means being in heat exchange relation with lubricant in the radiator body, means extending through the body for conducting a cooling medium in heat exchange relationship with the lubricant therein, means within the radiator body for dividing the body into a plurality of interconnected compartments and for directing the lubricant through a ducting means in varying spaced relation to each other so as to provide predetermined in tercommunicating lubricant flow paths of different cross-sectional areas thereby providing greater and lesser resistance to the passage of lubricant through the tortuous course from the inlet to the outlet of the radiator body so that the liquid flowing through the body tends to seek and flow toward and through the flow paths of lesser resistance to flow.

3. A lubricant conditioning device for use in a lubricant circulating system wherein a lubricant, the viscosity of which varies progressively with changes in temperature, is circulated under pressure and subjected to heat, including a radiator body having an inlet and an outlet, means for conducting lubricant under heat and pressure to said inlet, said lubricant conducting means being in heat exchange relation with lubricant in the radiator body, means extendin through the body for conducting a cooling medium in heat exchange relationship with the lubricant therein, means within the radiator body for dividing the body into a plurality of interconnected compartments and. for directing the lubricant through a tortuous course including flow paths substantially parallel to the flow of cooling medium, means for mounting the coolin medium conducting means in varying spaced relation to each other so as to provide predetermined intercommunicating lubricant flow paths of different crosssectional areas thereby providing greater and lesser resistance to the lubricant through the tortuous course from th inlet to the outlet of the radiator body so that the liquid flowing through the body tends to seek and flow toward and through the flow paths of lesser resistance to flow, and means'for maintaining pressure on the incoming lubricant and for relieving said pressure when the latter reaches a predetermined maximum.

4. A liquid conditioning device for use in a,

liquid circulatin system wherein a liquid, the viscosity of which varies progressively with changes in temperature, is circulated under pressure and subjected to heat, including a radiator body having an outlet, and having a passage for to seek andfiow toward and through the flow tortuous course including flow paths substantialcirculation of the liquid, and through which passage the liquid flows in heat exchange relationship with a cooling medium, mean within the radiator body for dividing the body into a plu-. rality of interconnected compartments and for directing the lubricant through a tortuous course including flow pathssubstantiallyparallel to the flow of cooling medium, means for mounting the cooling medium conducting means in varying spaced relation to each other so as to provide predetermined inter-communicating lubricant flowpaths of different cross-sectional areas thereby providing greater and lesser resistance to the passage of lubricant through the tortuous course from the inlet to the outlet of the radiator body so that theliquid flowing through the body tends paths of lesser resistance to flow, and a warm liquid conduit having an inlet and apair of spaced outlets, one of said conduit outlets forming an inlet to the radiator body, said conduit outlets being so positioned with respect to the conduit inlet that a portion of the heat of the Warm liquid flowing through the conduit will be transferred to the liquid in the radiator body before said warm liquid passes through any of said outlets, and means disposed between the conduit outlets for relieving the pressure on the warm liquid 'flowing through said conduit when the pressure exceeds a predetermined maximum.

5-. A liquid conditioning device for [use in' a liquid circulating system wherein a liquid, the viscosity of vwhich varies progressively with changes in temperature, is circulated under pressure and subjected to heat, including a radiator bodyhaving an inlet and an outlet, a warm liquid conduit disposed in heat exchange relationship with said body and having an inlet and a pair of outlets, one of the outlets of the warm liquid conduit being connected to the inlet of the ra diator body, a plurality of spaced means within the radiator body formed so as to provide a conduit for the passage of a coolant therethrough and for the passage therearound of the liquid to be conditioned, certain of said coolant conduit means being spaced from each other so as to provide liquid flow paths therebetween of crosssectional area which aiford relatively high resistance to the passage of liquid therethrough, and certain others of said coolant conduit means being spaced from each other so as to provide liquid flow paths therebetween of greater crosssectional area and of lesser resistance to the flow of liquid than the resistance to flow occurring between the flrst-mentioned coolant conducting means, whereby theliquid flowing in the high resistance flow paths will seek and flow toward and through the low resistance flow paths in its passage through the body between the inlet and outlet thereof, and means mounted within the body for causing all Of the liquid therein when being arranged in predetermined spaced relation with respect to each other so asto provide a plurality of intercommunicating liquid flow paths -of varying cross-sectional area interspersed throughout the body so as to offer relatively high and low resistanceto the flow of liquid longitudinally therethrough, said high and low resistance flow paths extending substantially parallel to the flow path of the coolant, and means for mounting said coolant conducting means in said body whereby, under low temperature conditions liquid of increased viscosity flowing through the body between the inlet and outlet thereof will tend to seek and flow toward and along said paths of .low resistance.

7. A liquid conditioning device for use in a liquid circulating system wherein a liquid, the

viscosity oi which varies progressively, with changes in temperature, is circulated under pressure and subjected to heat including a hollow body having an inlet and an outlet, means extending through said body for conducting a coolant into heat exchange relationship with the liquid flowing therethrough, means to mount certain of said coolant conducting means in spaced relationship to each other so as to provide flow paths therebetween of cross-sectional area which aflord relatively high resistance to the passage of liquid therethrough, and means to mount others of said coolant conducting means so as to cooperate with the first named coolant conducting means to provide liquid flow paths of greater cross-sectional areas and or lesser resistance to the flow of liquid than the resistance to flow occurring between the first-mentioned coolant conducting means, and interspersed throughout the flow paths of relatively high resistance, said relatively high and lesser resistance flow paths extending substantially parallel to the flow path of the coolant, whereby the liquid flowing in the high resistance flow paths will seek and flow toward and through the low resistance flow paths in its passage through the body between the inlet and outlet thereof.

8. A liquid conditioning device for use in a liquid circulating system wherein a liquid, the viscosity of which varies progressively with changes in temperature, is circulated under pressure and subjected to heat, including a hollow body having an inletand an outlet, means extending through said body for conducting a coolant into heat exchange relationship with the liquid flowing therethrough,means to mount certain of said coolant conducting means in spaced relation to each other so as to provide flow paths therebetween of cross-sectional areas which aiford relatively high resistance to the passage of liquid therethrough, means to mount others of said coolant conducting means so as to provide liquid flow paths of greater cross-s'ectional area' and of lesser resistance to the flow of liquid than the resistance to flow occurring between the firstmentioned coolant conducting means, whereby the liquid flowing in the high resistance flow paths wil seek and flow toward and through the low resistance flow paths, and means for causing th 'liquid to flow in a tortuous course comprising a plurality of interconnected paths each of which latter being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the coolant conducting means.

9. A liquid conditioning device for use in a liquid circulatingsystem wherein a liquid, the viscosity of which varies progressively with changes in temperature, is circulated under pressure and subjected to heat, including a hollow body having an inlet and an outlet, means extending through said body for conducting a coolant into heat exchange relationship with the liquid flowing therethrough, said coolant conducting. means being arranged in predetermined spaced relation with respect to each other-so as to provide a plurality of intercommunicating liquid flow paths of varying cross-sectional area interspersed throughout the body so as to oiler relativelyhigh and low resistance to the flow of liquid longitudinally therethrough, and means for mounting said coolant conducting means in said body whereby, under low temperature conditions liquid of increased viscosity flowing through the body between the inlet and outlet-thereof will tend to seek and flow toward and along said paths of low resistance, said last named means being disposed So as to cause the liquid to flow in a tortuous course comprising a p urality of inter-' connected paths each of which latter being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis oi the coolant conducting means.

. JOSEPH C. SHAW. 

